Ukraine is investigating its French-trained special forces after reports of mass defections and leadership problems

• Ukrainian investigators are investigating the 155th Mechanized Corps, a unit that is partially trained by France.

• Nicknamed “Anne of Kyiv”, the highly publicized brigade was an attempt by France to strengthen the defense of Ukraine.

• But he has come under scrutiny after a Ukrainian reporter said 1,700 of his troops had deserted.

Ukraine's State Investigation Bureau is investigating a brigade specially trained to use French weapons after reports that hundreds of soldiers deserted the unit.

Tetyana Sapian, spokeswoman for the investigation group said Interfax-Ukraine Thursday that authorities had launched a criminal investigation into abuse of power and abandonment at the 155th Mechanized Corps.

“The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to talk about any preliminary results,” she said.

Brigade of infantry, designated “Anna Kiev” after an 11th-century princess of Kyiv who became queen of France, she has about 5,800 soldiers. Around 2,000 of them went through months of training in France in 2024.

There, they enjoyed a relatively high profile; French President Emmanuel Macron in person he met several of the 155th battalion on a public visit to a French establishment in October.

Paris armed the brigade with its own ammunition, including 18 AMX 10 armored vehicles, 18 Caesar truck-mounted howitzers, and 128 armored personnel carriers. The unit also covers some of Germany's prized Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks.

By November, the 155th was ready to go to the front lines, with French officials saying that these Ukrainian soldiers were now equipped to fight with Western battle training.

1,700 desertions, a war reporter says

But a report last week by Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov said that the army has been grappling with desertion and leadership issues, even before it was sent to Pokrovsky.

“Before the brigade fired the first shot, 1,700 servicemen left it voluntarily,” wrote Butusov.

He did not provide evidence for his claim, but he did publish an account of the unit's strength over time that said hundreds of men deserted each month between March and November, forcing the 155th to continue replenishing its ranks. work

A key factor in the prophecy phase, Butusov wrote, was that many in the unit were forcefully recruited off the streets of Ukraine. About 50 men also went AWOL while the unit was training in France, Butusov said.

Uncertainty also hangs over the leadership of the 155th. Days into being used on the front line, the brigade commander, Col. Dmytro Ryumshin, suddenly he would resign. Ryumshin, an experienced officer with knowledge of two other brigades, thanked his soldiers in a facebook post, saying the 155th had gone through a “tough but important journey.”

He was replaced by Colonel Maksimov Taras Viktorovych, who was the commander of the 14th Mechanized Group.

Troops were allocated to other units

The 155th has also been transferring soldiers to other units in need of replenishment, and according to Butusov, at least seven major personnel changes have been handled since March.

Drone jamming specialists in the 155th, for example, had to fill infantry positions amid manpower shortages, he wrote.

Mariana Bezuhla, a controversial Ukrainian member of parliament known for criticizing the military leadership, said in early December that the 155th was “torn to pieces, lent to others.”

“Even the fact that the French tried to make the brigade special did not save us from the stupid military decisions of our generals and they tore the unit apart,” she said.

Butusov's report has since drawn outrage among Ukrainians, such as Lt. Col. Bohdan Krotevych, who is the chief of staff in the Azov Brigade.

“It may be very unwise to create new armed forces and equip them with new technology while the existing ones are understaffed. he wrote on X.

Serhii Sternenko, a famous Ukrainian lawyer who bringing fully funded drones to military unitsthat his group was supporting the 155th because drones and slugs were not officially issued to the brigade.

“Why create a new brigade when the existing brigades are understaffed, only to divide it later and transfer personnel to the old brigades? What is it?” he he wrote on Tuesday on his Telegram channel.

The fate of the brigade threatens the legacy of Macron's efforts to position France as a strong ally of Ukraine. Paris has pledged around $3 billion in military aid to Kyiv, and Macron has been one of the most vocal European leaders pushing for Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

He has also floated the idea sends French troops to Ukraine if Russia were to make great progress.

The French and Ukrainian Defense Ministries did not respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider outside normal business hours.

The 155th Mechanized Corps also did not respond to a similar request sent via email by BI.

In general, the “Anne of Kyiv” brigade is just one of several training projects on which France and Europe have been working with Ukraine. As of the end of 2022, more than 63,000 Ukrainian soldiers are trained under the European Union Military Assistance Missionan EU-funded program that forces member states to train and equip Kyiv's forces.

The program has a budget of $420 million for the next two years ending in November 2026.

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